1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for aiding the drawing and releasing of a bowstring and, more particularly, to a flexible, string-mounted release aid. One aspect of the invention includes a hand-held, bowstring draw member having a bowstring draw pin with an enlarged head for detachably coupling to the release aid.
2. Description of Prior Art and Objects of Invention
Traditionally, an archer propelled an arrow by holding a curved bow in one hand, drawing a taut, bow-mounted bowstring relative to the bow with the fingers of the other hand, and then suddenly releasing the bowstring to propel an arrow which, at the rearward end thereof, had a rearwardly opening recess receiving a mid-portion of the bowstring.
Thereafter, a variety of different mechanical bowstring release aid devices have been provided in attempts to increase the uniformity and consistency with which the archer released the drawn bowstring. Although some of these devices have aided archers in improving marksmanship, they also have attendant disadvantages. Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide new and novel bowstring release apparatus for improving an archer's marksmanship.
Hand-held, trigger-activated, bowstring draw and release mechanism has been provided for drawing the bowstring and releasing same to improve accuracy, aim and trajectory of an arrow, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,851 granted to Leon W. Lyons on Aug. 11, 1981, and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 237,489 granted to Marston E. F. Wigley on Nov. 4, 1975.
Other bowstring draw and release devices, including a bowstring draw cord, defining a bowstring receiving loop, have been provided to improve release and prevent misalignment of the bowstring and the arrow with the target, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,206 granted to Hugh R. Wilson on Feb. 10, 1976; U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,752 granted to Roland K. Barner on Nov. 5, 1974; U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,417 granted to James D. Fletcher on May 29, 1979; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,800,774 granted to Fernando Troncoso, Jr. on Apr. 2, 1974.
The aforedescribed prior art devices do not include any portion which remains coupled to the bowstring upon release of the bowstring and, thus, the string-engaging member, upon release, will abrade the string and shorten string life. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide new and novel bowstring release apparatus which will increase string life.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel string-mounted release aid including a flexible cord which remains coupled to the bowstring upon release of the bowstring.
The prior art release aids, such as that disclosed in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,800,774; 3,845,752; 3,937,206; 4,156,417; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,443, will not unassistedly remain in shooting position on the bowstring when the bowstring is not drawn. With such prior art release aids, the archer must, prior to shooting, insure that the prior art device is properly positioned along the length of the bowstring. The apparatus constructed according to the present invention includes a flexible loop of material which will unassistedly remain in a pre-set position on the bowstring but which can, under a predetermined force, be adjustably positioned along the length of the bowstring. Accordingly, the pre-shooting preparation time is minimized.
Therefore, it is another object of the present invention to provide new and novel bowstring release aid apparatus which will minimize pre-shooting preparation time.
Animals being hunted by an archer are sometimes frightened by relatively low level noise. When a bowstring is released, it will normally vibrate and generate a noise prior to coming to rest. To eliminate such string noise, game hunting archers frequently employ vibration dampening devices which are attached to the bowstring. Such devices, of course, represent another item of expense for the archer and another device which must be installed and maintained. Accordingly, it is yet another object of the present invention to provide bowstring release apparatus which will function as a bowstring vibration dampener.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,010,446 granted to A. A. Frantello on Nov. 28, 1961, discloses string-mounted release aid apparatus for holding and releasing a bowstring and arrow, including a knob having substantial mass. A release aid which remains attached to a bowstring should be relatively light-weight so as not to unduly restrict the string speed. Accordingly, it is yet another object of the present invention to provide a string-mounted release aid which will remain coupled to the bowstring upon release of the bowstring to function as a vibration dampener but which will not unduly restrict string speed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,904 granted to Michael D. Suski on May 2, 1978 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,133 granted to Waldemar K. Awiszus on Nov. 12, 1974 each disclose a string-mounted release aid including a rigid elongated body Upon release of the bowstring and arrow, the string sometimes strikes the archer's arm which holds the bow. Any object which is attached to the string will likewisely strike the archer's forearm. It is important that a release aid be constructed so as to minimize potential injury to an archer. Accordingly, it is still another object of the present invention to provide a string-mounted release aid which will dampen string vibration without unduly restricting string speed while minimizing injury to the archer in the event that the release aid strikes a part of the archer's body.
Archers also frequently employ a string-mounted peep sight to increase their sighting accuracy. As the bowstring is drawn, the string, which is formed from a plurality of twisted strands, and the string-mounted peep sight will normally rotate about the longitudinal axis of the string. Archers have heretofore mounted an elastic band between the bow and the bowstring, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,194 granted to Kenneth D. Topel on Sept. 26, 1978, to exert a force on the body of the peepsight to align the peepsight when the bow is drawn. Such apparatus represents another expense to the archer and another device which must be installed and maintained. Another device has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,886,924 granted to John C. Chesnick on June 3, 1975 for preventing bowstring twisting and to stabilize the peep sight, but includes an additional alignment guide mounted on the bowstring. Accordingly, it is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and novel string-mounted flexible release aid which will uniformly, consistently properly align and stabilize a bowstring mounted peep sight.
It is another object of the present invention to provide flexible release aid apparatus of the type described, which is adapted to be adjustably mounted and positioned in any selected one of a plurality of different pre-set longitudinally spaced positions.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a bowstring release aid including a flaccid member which is tautly clamped to the bowstring to control relative rotation of the bowstring and the release aid, while force is exerted on the release aid to draw the bowstring.
Another type of prior art release aid apparatus includes a hand-held handle having a pivotal, string-engaging pin and a trigger-actuated mechanism which releases the pin for movement between a latched string-engaging position and a release position to permit escape of the drawn string. The prior art pin is of such construction that it will not, unassistedly, remain in proper position along the length of the bowstring for quick shooting. Apparatus constructed according to the present invention includes a hand-held trigger device having a pivotal pin provided with an enlarged head which is releasably held on the bowstring by a string-mounted flexible cord. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide hand-held release aid apparatus of the type described constructed so as to unassistedly remain coupled to the bowstring in a predetermined pre-draw position for proper bowstring draw.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide mechanical hand-held, trigger-actuated bowstring draw apparatus having a bowstring draw pin including an enlarged diameter terminal head.
It is another object of the present invention to provide new and novel bowstring release apparatus for releasably coupling a bowstring draw pin to a bowstring, including a flexible loop adapted to be mounted on a bowstring.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel bowstring-mounted release aid including a flaccid loop member defining an expansible and contractible draw pin receiving eyelet.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel release aid including a loop member adapted to be mounted on a bowstring and including a draw pin receiving eyelet of predetermined size expansible to a greater predetermined, draw pin releasing size when the bowstring is drawn.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel bowstring-mounted release aid including a flexible cord forming a draw pin receiving eyelet.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel release aid of the type described, including a flexible cord, having bowstring receiving portions which, when the bowstring is not drawn, can be adjustably positioned along the length of the bowstring to tune the bow, but which tightly clamps to the bowstring to prevent relative rotation of the bowstring and the release aid when the bowstring is drawn.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel release aid of the type described, including an endless length of flexible cord comprising a pair of lines coupled at opposite ends by a pair of integral bowstring receiving loops and further including central line portions, one of which is laterally spaced relative to the other to provide a draw loop for receiving a bowstring draw member.
A further object of the present invention is to provide release aid apparatus to provide bowstring release apparatus of the type described, including an endless flexible cord having end loop portions for mounting on a bowstring, central draw pin receiving loop portions, and a pair of expansible and contractible sleeves mounted on the flexible cord between the end loop portions and the central pin-receiving portions to permit the central draw pin receiving loop portions to move relative to each other between a contracted size when the string is not drawn and an expanded size when the string is drawn.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art as the description thereof proceeds.